RE: Free air time for candidates

[Reed Davis <rd100@delphi.com>]

> What specifics need to be worked out in thinking about this
> action?
> What criteria would you use in deciding how to implement this
> action?

I would be very leery about implementing this action.  As Harold
Scott said in an earlier message, "Who pays for this?".  I don't
think that we can just assume that the TV stations will absorb
the cost.  We might be able to limit the costs to reasonable
levels, as was proposed in the Senate today.  Whatever we do, we
should come up with a clear rationale and not just try to pass
the cost off on the TV stations.  The hope that we could just
let the rich fund our campaigns and not pay a price for it is
arguably what got us into our current situation.

A slightly off-the-wall proposal for handling TV advertising
might be to require all TV ads to be immediately followed by
a rebuttal that the opposition would have a week or so to put
together.  Various details such as what the rebuttal could
address and how it would be funded would have to be worked out.
Such a proposal might be very difficult to implement.  However,
it could serve to make ads somwhat more accurate since their
creators would know that any glaring inaccuracies could be
immediately rebutted.  We may have the right to free speech
but not unrebutted free speech.

Reed Davis